The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Illustrated by Thomas Hart Benton. Limited Edition. Franklin Library. Franklin Center, 1979.

Benjamin Franklin was America’s first international celebrity. The French adored him, his fellow Founding Fathers respected him, and the international scientific community praised him. His broad contributions to the era and all those that followed cannot be overstated. He conceived of the United States postal system. He made lasting contributions to our understanding of electricity. He helped to draft the Declaration of Independence and swayed the French to side with the new democracy during the American Revolution. He was a successful business owner and printer as well. He disseminated some of the most popular literature of the late 1700s. A list of his contributions could go on ad nauseam, but for a close look at his life in his own words, his autobiography is the best source of information. It was published posthumously in French in 1791 then translated to English in 1793. The work quickly received international attention and became a bestseller. Over the centuries, readers have returned to the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin as a literary masterpiece of both prose and content.

This limited edition is in fine condition. In the original leather, finely gilt stamped. Raised bands. Gilt spine label. Text block fine. Gilt edges. Silk moire endpapers and bookmark sewn in.

A fine collector’s copy of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.